No bum deal

No bum deal

'Having no tan lines is another aspect.'Peter Englert has long fostered a naked ambition: to give Britain's naturists the best choice of nudist holiday locations based on the "unrivalled experience" of his team.

"I'm 70 years old and normally people retire at 65. I enjoyed my job so much I put retirement off," he explains. "We have bumper stickers which say: Naturism is contagious, let's start an epidemic!"

Englert says the appeal of his holidays pares down to "a sense of freedom that you do not normally experience - particularly swimming without clothes". "Having no tan lines is another aspect."

Though he admits that stripping off "takes courage for the first two minutes"; from then on, he insists, "you wonder what the fuss is about".

Founded in 1971, Peng Travel has grown into the UK's largest naturist operator, with a turnover of £2.6m last year and operating profits of £235,000. But buyer Travelzest insists it can give the company greater exposure while maintaining its personal touch with clients.

The new owner will retain Peng Travel's staff - a pairing of professional travel agents and practising naturists - for at least 12 months, and will act as a holding agent. What remains to be seen is whether this proves to be too many balls to juggle alongside the firm's other interests: VFB Holidays, Holiday Express and Best of Morocco.

Englert insists not: "After 35 years it's my baby, and I will make sure it will continue to prosper."